Maker Lab Teaches Rockets, Circuits, and Soldering

Originally published on Youthradio.org, the premier source for youth generated news throughout the globe.

By: Youth Radio

Bicycle pump-powered rockets, lunch box speakers, and paper airplanes are just a few of the projects students have tackled in an after-school program launched by MAKE, a leader in the DIY movement that celebrates the "right to tweak, hack, and bend any technology to your will."

For students who participate in the after-school program at McClymonds High School in Oakland, California, hacking, bending and tweaking translate into hands-on training in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Meeting twice weekly at two hours a pop, students learn soldering, circuits, and basic mechanical systems. Youth Radio spoke with Maker-in-Residence Alex Nolan and junior Dakila Grayson about the benefits of bringing DIY into the classroom, and making science and technology not only relevant but awesome in the eyes of youth.

This story is a project of Youth Radio's New Options Desk, supported by the New Options Project and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

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